More new homes would create new jobs

The coalition governemnt would go someway to reducing unemployment figures, not to mention create more new homes for people to live in, if they simplified the property planning process, allowing more new houses and aparatments to be built. According to research recently published 215,000 new jobs would be created if the UK built the new homes it needs.

But "petty bureaucracy" is stifling many new home developers from increasing the supply of new homes which last year the lowest level since 1923, and unless the politicians take urgent action this trend is set to continue, according to Colin Creed, Managing Director of housebuilders, Hillreed Homes.

Creed questions how his company, which provides new homes across the South East, can achieve more growth whilst being held back by too much planning red tape.

Currently Hillreed Homes have four new developments, which have already been years in the planning system, held up at the last hurdle due to what Creed describes as "planning control overkill".

"We do not submit frivolous applications so are not deterred by this, our previous experience encourages us to believe that common sense will prevail in the end," said Creed. "Ultimately most of our planning refusals are overturned at appeal by the Department of the Environment although this leads to even more delay whilst the arguments for and against are debated. Usually after several more months the appeal is determined in our favour but with conditions to be agreed by the Local Authority so yet more time consuming delay in the provision of new homes and new jobs."

He adds: "It is well known that our Housing Industry is directly and indirectly one of the largest employers in the UK, not only does it provide work for the many skilled tradesmen that operate throughout the Industry but the provision of new homes will kick start a whole range of other businesses necessary to convert a new house to a home."